The CyanogenMod team has recently released a good treat for owners of Acer Iconia Tab A700. The nightly build of CyanogenMod 10.1 that is based on Android 4.2.1 firmware has been made available for those who are willing to take the risk of manually flashing an unofficial ROM into their devices.

This installation guide makes use of the popular recovery tool known to many are ClockworkMod Recovery. It needs to be downloaded and installed into the Iconia Tab A700 to replace the stock recovery console. The entire installation process will revolve around the use of this tool so it is imperative to install it prior to taking the first step of this tutorial. We have prepared a set of reminders and pre-requisites so make sure you read them, too.

Reminders

The CyanogenMod 10.1 nightly build based on Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean is an unofficial ROM. Flashing it into your device will void your warranty and there are some risks involved. Flash at your own risk.

All your important data should be backed up before the installation to make sure you can retain them in case things happen during the process.

Make sure all necessary USB drivers are installed in your computer so there will be a good connection between your tablet and computer.

Pre-requisites

Your device should be rooted in order to make the process successful. We have prepared a guide on how to root an Android device, visit this link.

The ClockworkMod Recovery tool should be installed in your device. [Guide]

Your Iconia Tab should, at least, have 80% battery. This is to avoid interruptions during the installation process.

The USB Debugging option should be enabled in your device to make sure there is a good connection between your computer and tablet.

Step-by-step Procedure

Step 1: Connect your tablet to your computer using the original USB data cable while it is still on. Make sure it is properly detected by your machine so transferring of files will not be a problem.

Note: You can actually save these packages into your computer then transfer it to your device later. But it depends on you which one is more comfortable.

Step 3: Switch your tablet off and disconnect it from your computer in preparation for the flashing procedure.

Step 4: Boot your device into Bootloader Mode: press and hold VOLUME DOWN and POWER buttons. From there, follow on-screen instructions to proceed to the Recovery Mode.

Step 5: Take a Nandroid backup of your current ROM so you can just revert back if you don’t like this ROM: Backup and Restore => Backup.

Step 6: Now perform a full data wipe: Wipe Data/Factory Reset => Yes. Then, go back to main menu.

Step 7: You are now ready to flash CyanogenMod 10.1 ROM for your Acer Iconia Tab: Install zip from SD Card => Choose zip from SD Card. Navigate through the root directory of your device’s internal memory and choose CM10.1 package. Wait until CWM Recovery brings you back to the main menu.

Step 8: Repeat step 7 but this time choose Google Apps package you saved in the same directory. Wait until installation is done and you’re being brought back to the main menu.

Step 9: Choose +++++Go Back+++++ and then Reboot System Now.

The first time you reboot your device after you installed a new ROM will be longer than usual. So, be patient and wait until your device comes on.

Disclaimer: This tutorial is for reference purpose only and does not cover any warranty claims. You can neither blame The Droid Guy nor developers behind the development of the ROMs and mods used in this guide if you brick your device along the process. Only users with basic flashing knowledge are advised to follow the above steps.

Harold is a tech blogger and reviewer. He's been with The Droid Guy for more than 3 years writing news, updates, tutorials, how tos and troubleshooting articles. Feel free to email him at [email protected], follow him on Twitter or join the community he created to help smartphone owners.